Selective signaling apparatus.



M. SETTER. SELECTIVE SIGNALING APPARATUS. APPLICATION HLED JUNE 6. I906.

1,185,843. 7 Patent ed June 6,1916.

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M. S'ETTER.

SELECTIVE ,SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6. 1906.

1,185,843. Patented June 6,1916.

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M. SETTER.

SELECTIVE SIGNALING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6. 1906.

Patented June 6, 1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFEQEQ MICHAEL SETTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN ELECTRIC TELE- PHONE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SELECTIVE SIGNALING AIPARAT'US.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1916.

Application filed June 6, 1906. Serial No. 320,442.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, MICHAEL Snr'rnn, a' citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Selective Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to selective signaling systems in general, but more particularly to selective signaling systems for telephone party lines, and especially to party line systems in which the operator is provided with a selective ringing key having a plurality of keys or push-buttons, each representing a different substation on the party line.

Generally stated, the object of my invention is the provision of an improved and highly efiicient selective ringing or signaling apparatus.

Special objects are the provision of an improved selective ringing key having pushbuttons or keys adapted by improved mechanism, to serve as indicating devices for enabling the operator at once to locate or determine which of the difierent substations was called; the provision of an improved construction and arrangement whereby the push-buttons or ringing keys allotted to the different substations are adapted to remain in a partially depressed position, and to be depressed from such intermediate position for the purpose of repeating the ringing of the called subscribers bell; the provision of a construction and arrangement whereby the push-buttons of the selective ringing key may each be restored to normal position by the actuation of the operators ordinary key lever for use in ringing subscribers who are not located on a party line; the provision of an arrangement whereby the actuation of a combined ringing and listening key lever to ringing position permits the push-button to be restored; and the provision of certain details and combinations and features of improvement tending to increase the general efliciency and serviceability of apparatus of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, my invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an operators selective ringing key embodying the principles of my invention, showing an ordinary operators listening and ringing key in conjunction therewith; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same; Fig. 3 shows the other end of the sald selective ringing key arrangement; Fig. 4c is a view of the other side of the said operators ringing key arrangement, showing a portion of the same in vertical sec tion; Fig. 5 is a top view of the structure shown in Fig. 4:; Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line 66 in Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a detailed vertical section on line 77 in Fig. 1; Fig. 8 1s a diagram of a party line telephone system, illustrating the application of my improved selective ringing apparatus to use in selectively ringing the different subscribers on the party line.

As thus illustrated, and referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, it will be seen that my improved operators ringing key arrangement comprises a top plate A, provided with sockets or openings for a plurality of push-buttons 1, 2, 3 and 4. Each push-button is held in its normal or raised position by a spring B. The lower end of each push-button is preferably tapered, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4. Each pushbutton has mounted below it a group of switch springs adapted to control the line and ringing circuits and adapted to be operated by the said push-buttons. For example, the push-buttons 1, 2, 3 and 4 are provided respectively with groups of switch springs C, D, E and F. As will hereinafter more fully appear, these switch springs are connected with the operators cord circuit and are so arranged that when any button is pressed it operates its allotted springs and thereby opens the line circuit and connects the ringing generator with the line of the calledsubscriber, and for this purpose the said switch springs may be of any suitable known or approved character. lhe said springs are mounted in a strip of insulation Gr, secured along the lower edge of the flat side plate H, which latter is secured in a suitable manner to the top plate A. Upon the outside of the plate H are mounted a plurality of looking dogs for catching and holding the pushbuttons in partially depressed positions. For example, the push-buttons 1, 2,. 3 and 4 are provided respectively with looking dogs 5, 6, 7 and 8,.said dogs having their lower ends pivoted to the said side plate H. The said dogs are all connected together by means of a connecting bar 9, which latter has an upwardly projecting arm 10 provided with a slot 11. The said bar also has a slot 12, through which extends a screw 13, by which the said arm 10 is held and guided, said screw extending into the side plate H.

A spring 14 connects the bar .9 with the side plate H and is so tensioned that it keeps the dogs in their normal positions. At their lower ends the said push-buttons are provided respectively with pins 15, 16, 17 and 18, adapted to slide in the vertical slots 7t formed in the plate H. Said pushbuttons are also provided with pins 19, which slide up and down in said slots and normally engage the under side of the top plate A. With this arrangement each pushbutton is adapted to be depressed for the purpose of operating its allotted switch springs and to'then rise until it is caught by its allotted dog. F or example, the push button 1 can be depressed until its springs are suitably operated, and can then rise until its pin 15 is caught and held by the dog 5. In such partially depressed position the said push-button serves as an indicator for enabling the operator to at once determine which subscriber she was calling. Should the subscriber not answer, she can then depress the push-button from its intermediate position for the purpose of again closing the ringing generator in connection with the line of the called subscriber. In other words, instead of asking the calling subscriber what number it was that he called, the operator simply looks at her selective switch key and sees immediately which subscriber is wanted. In this way the operator can receive the order for connection and ring the called subscriber, and can then again ring the called subscriber several times, without the necessity of remembering the called number and without the necessity of asking the calling subscriber to repeat such number.

Each locking dog is beveled at its upper surface. In this way a depression of any push-button necessarily restores to normal position any other push-button which may have been left in a partially depressed position. In other Words, with this arrangement no two push-buttons are liable to be found down at the same time. The arrangement as a whole also comprises an ordinary operators ringing and listenlng key lever I. This lever is, as Wlll be seen, pivoted at 2' and provided with a pm 21, adapted to engage the slot 11. The said key lever 1s also pro vided with rollers i adapted to engage and operate the listening springs 71 and the ringing springs 15*. With this arrangement the push-buttons may be operated without moving the lever I, as the pin 2' and the slot 11 constitute a lost motion connection, so to speak, between the said lever and the arm 10. It will be observed, however, that when the key lever I is thrown to a ringing position, the movement thereof is then suliicient to pull all of the dogs out of engagement with any push-buttons which may happen to be down. Preferably, the construction is such that when the said key lever I is thrown to listening position it will remain there and continue to maintain the connection of the operators head telephone with the line until the operator gets the order for connection. With the provision of the said lost motion connection the said key lever I can be thrown to listening position without producing any movement of the bar 9. With this arrangement the push-buttons can be operated and each time one is operated to ring a particular party on the line it can restore the button which was last operated. Then suppose that the operator finds it necessary to use the key I for ringing a sub scriber on an ordinary line. In such case themovement of the said key lever, namely the rocking of the said lever into ringing position, effects a restoration of the pushbutton which was last used by the operator. Thus any push-button can be restored by any other push-button and can also be restored by the operation of the operators combined listening and ringing key. In this way the key lever I serves as a restoring key for the four push-buttons of the selective ringing switch.

Referring to Fig. 8, the operation is as follows: The calling subscriber J has a suitable line connection with the central station, said line terminating in the springjack j. The calling subscriber operates the line signal 5;" and thereby obtains the attention of the operator. The latter then inserts her answering plug K in the answering jack of the calling subscribers line and receives the order for connection, and in order to do so she must rock the key lever I to listening position so as to connect her telephone set L with the calling subscribers line. It will be understood that during such operation the switch plug Z connected with the operators head telephone is inserted in the socket Z. Upon learning the number of the called subscriber the operator then inserts the calling plug M in the jack connected with the called subscribers line. Suppose the calling subscriber desires connection with a subscriber on a single line, as, for example, the line N leading to a substation like the substation J. In such case the operator simply plugs in and then swings the key lever I to ringing position, thus bridging the low frequency current generator 0 across the called subscribers line. This will ring the called subscribers bell in the ordinary and well understood manner. Suppose, however, that the calling subscriber desires connection with a party line subscriber. For this purpose, assume that the calling subscriber desires connection with the party line subscriber P. In such plug case the operator first inserts the calling M in the jack Q, connected with the party line g. She then operates the pushbutton 1 and thereby connects the high frequency current generator R with the said party line,that is to say, with the sleeve side of the said party line, it being observed that the ringer or bell 79 allotted to the subscribers substation P is connected with the so-called sleeve side of the line. When this is done, current passes from the said generator B through the conductor 20 to the co tact point 21, thence through the spring C to the other springs in series, and through the conductor 22 to the sleeve contact 23 of the said calling plug, thence over the sleeve side of the line to the bell p and through the condenser p to ground 24:, thence through ground to the ground connection 25 which is common to the high and low frequency generators. It will be understood at this juncture that the said generators may be inductively connected with their leads, as indicated in Fig. 8. This will ring the bell at the called subscribers station. Should the subscriber at substation S be called, the operator will then establish a connection in the same manner, but she will then press the key 3 and thereby connect the low frequency generator 0 with the sleeve side of the party line. The high frequency generator can be connected with the tip side of the party line by pressing the push-button 2 and the low frequency generator can also be connected with the tip side of the said party line by pressing the push-button 4.

As previously explained, each time that the operator listens in and receives the order for connection from the calling subscriber, she necessarily, by afterward shifting the key to ringing position, then restores the push-button last employed in calling a party line subscriber. Suppose that after properly establishing connection between the calling and called lines, and after ringing the bell at substation P, the operator gives her attention to other things, and then in a few moments the calling subscriber informs her that the called subscriber has not answered. \Vith my improved arrangement it will not be necessary for the operator to then inquire as to the number of the called subscriber, for by a glance at her selective Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the ringing switch she can know in a moment what subscriber it was that she was calling. The push-button allotted to the called subscrib'er is still partially depressed, so that she simply selects this push-button and presses it again, thereby again ringing the bell at the called substation. The high frequency bell at the substation T is rung by pressing the push-button 2, while the low frequency bell at the substation U is rung by pressing the push-button 4. It will be understood, of course, that the selectively operated bells or ringers at the substations can be of any suitable known or approved character. I do not, however, limit myself to any particular form of selective bells or ringers. Neither do I limit myself to any particular form or character of telephone system.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a telephonic switching device, an operators key, a plurality of actuating buttons, switching mechanism associated with said operators key and with said actuating buttons, a plurality of dogs associated with said buttons adapted to hold the same in depressed position, a bar associated with said dogs and having a loose connection with said operators key whereby operation of said key operates said dogs through the medium of said bar to release a depressed button.

2. In a telephonic switching device, an operators key, a. plurality of actuating buttons, switch mechanism associated with said operators key and the said actuating buttons, a dog associated with each of said buttons adapted to look a button in position upon depression thereof, means for operating said dogs to release a depressed button, said means including a bar having an upwardly extending arm and a loose connection between said arm and said operators key whereby a complete operation of said key would operate said bar but a limited operation of the said key is permitted without operating said bar.

Signed by me at Chicago, Ills., this 24th day of May 1906.

MICHAEL SETTER.

Witnesses:

SARAH LEWIS,- ALBERT JOHN SAUSER.

Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. 0. 

